Frankfurt is one of the few European cities with a large cluster of high rise building in its downtown area; in many other European cities, skyscraper construction has not well received in the past due to the historical value of existing buildings. For this reason, Frankfurt is sometimes referred to as "Mainhattan" (a portmanteau of the river Main and Manhattan), and Chicago am Main.[4][5] Most of Frankfurt's downtown area was destroyed by Allied air bombardment during World War II, and only a small number of the city's landmarks were rebuilt.[6] This left ample room for and little opposition to the construction of modern high-rises in the city. Frankfurt went through a small building boom in the 1970s; during this time, the city saw the construction of nine buildings over 110 metres (360 ft) tall. From 1984 until 1993, Frankfurt went through another building boom, during which time the city's second-tallest building, Messeturm, and the third-tallest building, Westendstraße 1, were completed. The city is the site of ten skyscrapers that rise at least 150 metres (490 ft) in height, more than any other city in Germany. As of June 2008, there are 282 completed high-rises in the city.[7]

Frankfurt entered another building boom in 1997, and has seen the completion of eight buildings over 110 metres (360 ft), including the city's tallest building, the Commerzbank Tower. As of 2008, Frankfurt has three major proposals to build large skyscrapers within the next five years. The tallest of these proposals is Millennium Tower, which, if constructed, would become the new tallest building in the city and country at 369 metres (1,210 ft). If built, the skyscraper would also stand as the tallest in Europe outside of Moscow.[8] Another proposal is the Marieninsel, which, at 250 metres (820 ft), would become the city's fourth-tallest structure. A third tall proposal for the city is the MAX, which would become the city's fifth-tallest building.[9] As of July 2008, there are 85 high-rise buildings under construction, approved for construction and proposed for construction in Frankfurt.[10]

Tallest buildings

This lists ranks Frankfurt skyscrapers that stand at least 110 m (361 feet) tall, based on standard height measurement. This includes spires and architectural details but does not include antenna masts. Existing structures are included for ranking purposes based on present height.

Notes

A.^ The Europaturm is not a habitable building; the structure is included in this list for comparative purposes, but as it is not a high-rise it is not given a ranking. Per a ruling by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, freestanding observation towers are not considered to be buildings, as they are not fully habitable structures.